A Life Worth Living
by Awahili
Summary: Just a short JS ficlet about life after the tournament. When Sonya's kidnapped by ransommongers, will Johnny be able to save her before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

﻿"Alright, cut! Reset, one more take!" Johnny sighed as the director walked over to him. "You're great, Johnny. We just need one more from the last angle, and we'll have enough to piece together a nice shot in editing. Baddies reset! Let's go people." Johnny walked back over to his spot, catching a glimpse of blonde from the Green Room balcony. He flashed a smile up to his girlfriend, Sonya Blade, who had just entered in her new Battle Dress Uniform. The Army had just switched their uniform style, and Johnny had to admit that she did look good in desert colors. She gave him a small wave as he turned back and stood on his starting mark. 

"Action!" the director yelled, and a horde of thugs ran into the room. Johnny knew his line was supposed to be "Here they come," but they had already gotten his "line shot," so he decided to improvise a little.

"We've got company!" he yelled, missing the approving look from the director and the subsequent laugh of Sonya in the Green Room.. His co-star whirled around, taking a defensive stance next to Cage.

"What do ya think, Sly?" the man asked Johnny. Darting his eyes around the room, they rested on a large piece of chain that had been discarded carelessly.

"Can you get me over there?" he asked quietly, gesturing with his head. His partner smiled and nodded.

"No problem," and they began. There were two of them, and seven thugs, but Johnny wasn't worried. His partner, a larger black man, cleared a path for him, and Johnny dashed over, pulling the chain up into his hands.

"Kris, look out!" he yelled, and his partner whirled in time to catch two goons charging him from behind. Two more joined that fray, leaving three for Johnny. He whirled the chain expertly, the joined links singing with speed. He twirled it around his body and struck out, catching one of them on the shoulder. He howled in pain as one of his buddies darted forward with a kick. Johnny sidestepped deftly and caught the goon's ankle in the chain. With a simple twist, the goon fell in pain, and Johnny imagined the bone-snapping sound that would be added later. With one quick kick, he dispatched the fallen one, leaving two, one already injured. He spared a glance over at "Kris", who had just bashed two of his goons together.

Johnny reacted quickly to the punch thrown his way, and wrapped the chain around the man's arm. With a fake sweep and another quick movement, he had the remaining two entrapped in the chain. He took a step back to aid "Kris" in felling the last two, then turned back.

The last two were desperately trying to extricate themselves from the chain to no avail. Johnny judged his distance, and steeled himself, readying his body for the stunt. The ironic part about this whole thing was it looked better in real life than on a screen, but that would be fixed in editing. Taking two quick steps, he launched a shadow kick, hitting the mass of two with full force. The impact of his special move on the chain shattered it, and propelled the two thugs backwards, into the wall. They lay unmoving.

"Nice work, Sly, but Chief's gonna be mad we knocked 'em all out!" his partner exclaimed. Johnny merely shrugged and smirked.

"Well then, next time, he can come fight 'em."

"Cut! Perfect! That was beautiful Johnny! Excellent work Michael! Alright people, tear down and meet in the backset in twenty for debrief and overview!" People began milling about, and a short teenage girl came over with two towels and water for the actors.

"Thanks Stephanie," Johnny said, winking at her. She smiled shyly and returned to the refreshment table, helping the thugs who had just gotten up. Johnny took a long swig of water and wiped his brow.

"Hey, Johnny, you wanna go grab a bite to eat before debrief?" Michael asked.

"Nah, but thanks anyway. I'll see you later," he said, pointing up to the Green Room. Michael laughed.

"Man, you've been dating her for what, seven months now? You obviously can't live without her, so just ask her already!" the other man teased. Johnny laughed with him, but took in the words seriously. Michael waved him off, and he walked up the stairs to greet his love.

"Hey there, beautiful," he greeted, kissing her lightly.

"Hey yourself. You look good down there," she said.

"Hey, I look good anywhere," he countered. She scoffed and rolled her eyes mockingly, then laughed at the indignant look on his face.

"Oh, you know I'm only kidding. So, what are your plans for this evening?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Well," he began, a plan forming in his mind. "I'm going to go home, change into a nice pair of Dockers and a Polo shirt, then I'm going to take the most beautiful woman in the world out for dinner and dancing."

"That's funny," she said, countering his serious tone, "I was going to put on the new dress my mother sent me for my birthday and let the most handsome man in the world take me out for dinner and dancing. I wonder if I'll see you there," she mocked thoughtfully. He laughed and pulled her close to him, whispering in her ear.

"Well, if I have anything to say about it, you will." He leaned in for a kiss, aiming to prove his love through the simple act. A knock interrupted them, and one of the teens walked in.

"Sorry, Mr. Cage, but Mr. Kilgore wants everyone in backset now."

"He said twenty minutes," the actor argued, but the teen merely shrugged and left. Johnny sighed and turned back to Sonya.

"Well, I'll have one of the techs escort you out. I'll pick you up at seven," he said, downing his water.

"Oh, don't bother the techs, I can see myself out to the car. I'm a big girl, Sly," she winked at him and he laughed.

"Alright, but call me when you get home, so I know you're safe." She chuckled outwardly, but inside, her heart swelled at the depth of his love for her.

"Alright, I promise. Now go, or you'll be late for the debrief." Johnny kissed her once more, then left, jogging to catch up with his co-star.

Sonya made her way out of the studio and to the car. She kept thinking of Johnny, and how a few simple months ago, she had thought him self-deluded and arrogant. Now, she couldn't imagine a day without him. She started the car and backed out, giving a small courteous salute to the guard at the gate. She made a few turns, rolled out to the stop sign and turned her signal on. A violent bump from behind indicated someone had hit her very hard. She turned around, but could only make out the front of a large vehicle. All of a sudden, her window shattered, and she was sprayed with glass. A gun was pressed to her temple.

"Get out of the car, now!" She thought she recognized the voice, but did as she was told. Before she could protest or fight back, she was overcome by several thugs, bound, and blindfolded. She felt herself being thrown into the back of a van, probably what had hit her from behind. She heard her car speed off, followed closely by the one she was in. Silently, she prayed that when Johnny didn't receive a phone call, he would come looking for her…before it was too late.


	2. Chapter 2

﻿ 

Johnny whistled a merry tune as he threw his keys down. Looking over at his machine, he noticed the light blinking, and sighed. Sonya hadn't called his cell, so he hoped she had called him at home. Smiling to himself, he strolled over and hit the button.

"Mr. Cage, I'm very sorry you're not home. I so much wanted to talk to you personally, but I guess this will have to do. We have something that belongs to you, I think, and if you want it back, it will cost you." A few muffled lines were shouted, then rustling.

"Come on, baby, say a few words." There was silence, then what Johnny knew to be the sound of a violent kick to a midsection. Someone screamed out in pain and Johnny's blood froze. He knew that scream; it would forever be ingrained in his head from the end of the tournament…_Sonya_.

"That's a good girl, make a little noise for your man," someone said in the background. Johnny's fists clenched against his sides and his heart throbbed in his chest.

"Now, Mr. Cage, here are the terms. One, no police. If you call the police, we will hear about it, and I will kill her. Two, you are to come alone with ten million dollars to an old warehouse on the corner of 10th and Sunset. You will be given further instruction there. It is currently seven o'clock. You have twenty-four hours." The machine beep echoed through the silent room. Johnny stood there unmoving for a while, his fist clenched in tight balls. Slowly, he began moving, and he grabbed various things, shoving them into a backpack. A flashlight, a jacket, his cell phone, an extra pair of shoes. Anything he could think of from his various movies. But this time was different; this time, the love of his life was on the line. As he made for the door, he spotted his weapons display on the wall. He stopped and walked over, grabbing his nunchukus off of the wall. Shoving them into his pack as well, he left, speeding away in his car for the bank.

"Let me get this straight, Mr. Cage. You want to withdraw ten million dollars in cash from your account, in solid, unmarked bills?" Johnny nodded, a fierce look in his eyes.

"That's right."

"This is unprecedented, I must say, but you do have the money in your account," the manager said, checking his computer.

"So what's the problem?" Johnny responded angrily.

"Oh, no problem. Just give me a few minutes to run this through." Johnny stood, tapping his foot as the manager logged in all the information. He took in Johnny's mannerisms and his agitation and guessed he needed the money quickly. _But__ for what_, the man asked himself. How would it look if he were the one who gave Cage the money he needed to flee the country after some crime? He decided to call the police after this was all said and done; to save his own tail.

Several excruciating minutes later, Johnny was walking out of the bank with the money in his pack. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice the manager talking with security and the subsequent call that was made to the police station.

Johnny made his way out of the parking lot and to the designated warehouse. He made sure his bag was still with him as he exited his vehicle and walked into the abandoned complex.

Water dripped from the ceiling, and Johnny noted the low lighting. If he did get into a fight, he would have to watch his footing. Outside, an unmarked police car watched him enter, then called in.

"Danny, I don't think this is a felon on the run. If a very rich and successful man withdraws money, then shows up at an abandoned warehouse on his guard, what do you think?"

His partner turned in his seat. "Hostage, probably someone the actor knows."

"Did you see his Hollywood premier a few months ago? That blonde he was with?"

"You think he's still with her Roger? I mean stars do tend to swap significant others quite a lot," Danny responded.

"Yeah, well, whoever it is, we gotta get them outta there. Call it in." Roger stepped out of the vehicle and carefully made his way to the actor's car. He was joined several minutes later by his partner, both armed and alert.

Johnny made his way between barrels, listening for any sign of life. He rounded a corner and felt the cool metal of a gun barrel at the back of his neck.

"Hey there, pretty boy! You got the money?" The voice was slightly distorted, as if speaking through a voice changer, and Johnny nodded slowly.

"Yeah, where is she?" he demanded.

"She's safe…for now. Where is it!"

"All the cash is in my backpack. Let me get it out for you." He knelt on the ground, but the gun followed, and he knew if he made one wrong move, he was dead; and so was Sonya.

Carefully, he began pulling out the stacks of cash and putting them into a bag that had been thrown at his feet. As soon as the last stack was safely inside, he zipped it up, and grabbed his bag, making sure it was still unzipped.

"Good boy. Come with me." The gun pressed into his neck as he let himself be led through the warehouse. He didn't see any other thugs, so perhaps this guy was by himself. He slowly reached into his bag with one hand and clasped the nunchukus firmly. They entered a smaller area, and descended down three flights of stairs.

"Open that door," the man demanded, and Johnny did so with his free hand. The sight that greeted him made his blood boil.

Sonya was tied up against the wall, blindfolded, her hands above her head. Her feet were shackled to the floor, and she had a bit in her mouth. Johnny growled low when he realized that her shirt had been torn open. It seemed as if they had tried to remove her pants as well, but thought twice about it. There were three other men there, all with guns, laughing and looking over at her continuously. One of them stood and swayed, and Johnny noticed the bottle of gin on the table. _Good_, he thought, _they're__ reaction times will be slowed_.

The man staggered over to Sonya's exposed form and caressed her face sloppily. She tried to knee him in the groin, but the shackles prevented her leg from lifting too high. Johnny took a step forward, his hand tightening around the nunchukus, but the gun trained on him kept him in place. The man laughed and gave up, running his hand down her body once before returning to the table.

"Put the bag over there," the man instructed, and he did so. Sonya's ears perked up, and she tried to say something, but it was muffled. As Johnny leaned over to set the bag of money down, a noise reverberated through the warehouse.

"Shit, he didn't come alone! I warned you, pretty boy." The gun that had been on him shifted, now pointed at Sonya's heart. With a vengeful cry, Johnny's other hand came out of the bag, holding both sets of nunchukus. He switched one to his right hand and began twirling them violently, wrapping around the man's wrist. The gun spun out, but not before going off and letting the police know exactly where they were. Johnny let go and lashed out again, coming around and up his body to take one of the thugs under the chin. He flew back, hitting his head on the cold pavement. The remaining three charged him, one with a knife, and they swung. Johnny blocked most of their shots with either his arms or his weapons, and he barely felt those that did get through.

In an intricate and precise movement, Johnny had stung two of the three remaining men in the legs, rendering them useless. He struck out again, remembering not to pull anything this time. He shattered one of their knee caps, reveling in the sound it made against his weapons. The third had dove for the gun, and now had it in his grasp. He swiveled his body and fired a shot, but Johnny dove behind the table, nearly hurling one of his weapons at the man. He held onto it at the last minute and stood, diving over the table at the man. In a perfect tuck and roll, Johnny came up beside the man. In three movements, Johnny had broken both of the man's arms and left him bleeding at the temple from his blow. The man had managed one more shot before he was rendered unconscious and hit the light, enveloping them in complete darkness. The last remaining man fled, not wanting the maniac martial artist to kill him, or worse.

Johnny breathed deeply for a few moments, regaining his composure. The noise of Sonya's muffled cries pulled him from his thoughts. He felt for his bag and grabbed the flashlight, shining it over in her direction. He removed her bit and blindfold, then kissed her deeply.

"Are you alright?" he asked desperately. She nodded against him as she buried her head in his chest. He pulled his pocket knife and cut her bonds, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm fine," she responded, near tears. She composed herself as she pulled away, and looked down at the shackles.

"How do we get you out of those?" he asked. A blinding light shone in from the doorway, and Johnny placed himself in front of her, battle ready.

"Relax, Mr. Cage. I'm Detective Roger Peterson. We followed you from the bank. If you'd move aside," he stepped forward with a key, and Johnny stepped back to her side, wrapping his arm around her. She shivered against him, and he remembered that she barely had a shirt on. He reached into his bag and pulled out the spare jacket he'd brought with him. He carefully wrapped it around her shoulders and she leaned into him. The detective was finally able to free her feet, and Johnny led her out to the awaiting ambulance. The kidnappers were being loaded into a van, and Johnny felt his blood heat up at their sight. The hand that wrapped around Sonya's clenched, and she looked up, following his gaze.

"Johnny, it's over," she whispered, calming him down. He breathed deeply and relaxed, sitting her down in the ambulance and climbing aboard. The medic checked Sonya out, then moved to Johnny.

"I'm fine," he said, his eyes focused on Sonya.

"Sir, the blood on your shirt says otherwise." Sonya sat up sharply.

"What?" Johnny said, looking down. His entire right side was soaked in blood, but he didn't feel a thing. The medic laid him back a little and pulled up his shirt. A large gash running from the top of his ribcage diagonally down to his abdomen marred his red flesh.


	3. Chapter 3

﻿ 

"Oh my God," Sonya whispered. Johnny looked up at the medic.

"I don't even feel it!" he exclaimed.

"Yes sir, adrenaline and shock will do that to you. I'm going to ask you to switch with Ms. Blade." Sonya stood and allowed Johnny to lie down, then she knelt down. The back of the ambulance was crowded, but they didn't mind being so close to one another. She cupped his face in her hand and placed a kiss on his brow.

"You'll be fine, Johnny." She tried not to watch as the medic cleaned the wound. Johnny's face contorted in pain as, at last, the pain reached his brain. He hissed sharply as she applied antibiotics and wrapped it lightly. Sonya took his hand as the medic turned to his partner and conversed quietly. She then turned back.

"Mr. Cage, what blood type are you?" she asked.

"Uh, O positive, why?" he asked hesitantly.

"Because you've lost a lot of blood; more than we first thought. You're going to need a transfusion, and we'll probably send you into the OR to get this patched up. Expect to be in the hospital for a few days."

"But my movie –"

"Can wait!" Sonya cut in. "You're health is more important Johnny. I'll call the director myself if I have to." He smiled at her and took her hand in his.

"Marry me," he said suddenly, and she almost choked. Once she regained a normal breathing pattern, she stared at him wide-eyed. The medics had stopped what they were doing and were trying their hardest not to look at the two lovers while simultaneously taking in every word spoken.

"W-what?" she managed to stutter.

"Marry me," he repeated. "I was going to go all out tonight and surprise you at dinner, followed by romantic dancing on the waterfront, but those plans got shot to hell. So I'm asking now. Sonya Blade, will you become my wife?"

"Johnny…the blood loss and drugs they've given you aren't allowing you to think clearly. Close your eyes, think about what you're saying. Then we'll talk." He raised an expectant eyebrow, but did as she said. He was asleep within seconds.

"Thank you, I was wondering how we were going to get him to sleep after that," she commented dryly. Sonya nodded absently.

"I wonder…" she began, but was cut off by the ambulance stopping and two men tearing the doors open. Johnny was rushed out and Sonya followed. The medics gave her permission to follow, though she was not family, and she made it all the way to the operating waiting room. She was seated at a table and instructed to fill out a few forms while Johnny was being patched up. She tried hard not to think about his question, and the pain she would feel if it _had_ been the drugs.

The truth was, she was scared to death of what marrying him would do, both to her and him. Yes, she loved him with all her heart, and probably couldn't love anyone else. But was she ready for _that_ kind of commitment? _He was delirious anyway_, she told herself, _he probably won't even remember it_. She finished the forms as they rolled him into a room.

"He'll be out for a while, but he'll be awake for breakfast. Why don't you just come back then?" the nurse suggested.

"No thanks, I'll stay with him. I'm not leaving his side." She hoped she wouldn't have to pull an ID out on her, and was thankful when the lady merely smiled and nodded knowingly.

Sonya entered, sitting down at his bedside, and took his hand. After a few moments of staring at him, taking in his every feature, she pulled up a chair. Taking his hand in her grasp, she laid her head on the bed, intent on being there when he woke.

The sun blinded her as the nurse opened the window curtains, then smiled apologetically at her. Sonya blinked away her sleep as the nurse exited, and she turned her focus to the man in the bed. He looked so peaceful sleeping, like he hadn't a care in the world. His voice broke her from her thoughts.

"It still stands," he croaked, and her head shot up. His beautiful blue eyes seemed to look right into her soul, and she smiled as he did. "My offer, I mean," he tried to clarify. "I closed my eyes and thought about it, apparently for a whole twelve hours," he said dryly. She laughed, but her eyes were slowly filling with tears. "And I've come to the conclusion that I love you more than life itself; that a life without you is not a life worth living. You are my world, and nothing else is as important to me as you are. So please Sonya, please say you'll marry me." He finished as he squeezed her hand, and a lone tear slipped down her cheek. She leaned down and hugged him tightly as best she could, sobbing into his chest. "If I was that bad, remind me not to write any scripts." She gave a half laugh, half sob and looked up into his eyes.

"Yes, of course I'll marry you, Johnny. I love you so much." He sighed and pulled her closer to him, and he heard the hall erupt into cheers. Sonya sat up and strode over to the door, yanking it open. Half the wing staff was standing outside the door, congratulating them as they entered. Sonya turned back with a look of astonishment. Johnny merely shrugged.

"Such is life when you're a famous actor," was all he offered, and Sonya smiled. Walking back over, she gave him a sly wink.

"Some things are better kept private, Mr. Cage," she said softly. His eyes widened and he grinned as she leaned over and kissed him deeply. She vaguely heard a doctor clearing the room and shutting the door, but she was lost in this one tender expression of love, shared with the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

* * *

Was that too sappy? Ugh... I need to go pummel the life out of something/one now.

Proceeds to turn on Deadly Alliance and beat the crap out of unsuspecting characters with a blind man


End file.
